SR118 - Recognizing Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio on the occasion of its 130th anniversary.

          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 118          WHEREAS, The students, faculty, and staff of Our Lady of   the Lake University in San Antonio are celebrating the school's   130th anniversary on February 22, 2025; and          WHEREAS, Founded by the Sisters of the Congregation of   Divine Providence, OLLU was built on a parcel of land gifted to   the order by Mayor Henry Elmendorf; construction on its main   building broke ground on August 14, 1895, and it opened a year   later as Our Lady of the Lake Academy, an all-girls high   school; and          WHEREAS, In 1911, the school transitioned into Our Lady of   the Lake College, a two-year program for women; it awarded its   first bachelor's degree in 1912, and by 1919, it had expanded   into a four-year program and earned membership in the Texas   Association of Colleges; over the course of the ensuing decade,   it became the first San Antonio institution of higher education   to receive regional accreditation and the third Texas school to   be approved by the American Association of Universities; and          WHEREAS, The college's programs were made fully   coeducational in 1969, and it was renamed Our Lady of the Lake   University of San Antonio in 1975; the school introduced its   weekend college program that same decade, becoming the first in   the region to offer adult students the option to complete a   degree while maintaining full-time employment; the program was   later expanded to the university's Houston and Rio Grande Valley   campuses; and          WHEREAS, In the 2000s, OLLU saw the establishment of its   first athletic programs, as well as renovations to its main   building and the adjacent Lake Elmendorf Park; the school was   designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber   Defense Education in 2017; and          WHEREAS, Today, Our Lady of the Lake serves nearly 2,000   students and offers more than 70 undergraduate, 15 graduate, and   4 doctoral programs across its three campuses; it benefits from   the leadership of President Abel A. Chávez, and since his   appointment in 2022, the school has raised more than $31 million,   launched new programs, and created additional scholarships; and          WHEREAS, For well over a century, Our Lady of the Lake   University has provided its students with an education that has   enriched them both academically and personally, and in so doing,   it has made important contributions to Texas and the world   beyond; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby commemorate the 130th anniversary of Our   Lady of the Lake University and extend to all those associated   with the institution sincere best wishes for the future; and, be   it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be   prepared for OLLU as an expression of high regard from the   Texas Senate.     Menéndez                 ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on February 20, 2025.                 ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate                 ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate